Pagasa Island—aptly named “hope” in Filipino—is a mere 37 hectares in size, yet it carries immense symbolic and strategic weight for the Philippines. Situated in the disputed South China Sea, it hosts a tiny civilian community of around 300 residents who live in modest wooden homes, fish the greenish blue waters, and grow vegetables in sandy soil. But just beyond their shores, an intimidating sight looms—an armada of Chinese vessels from the navy, coastguard, and maritime militia.
Over the past decade, China has steadily tightened its grip over these waters—constructing military airbases on artificial islands, stationing ships en masse, and asserting near-total control over one of the world’s most vital sea lanes. While most Southeast Asian claimants have refrained from openly challenging China’s dominance, the Philippines and Vietnam stand as rare exceptions.
Pagasa, also known internationally as Thitu Island, is the largest Philippine-occupied feature in the Spratlys. What makes it especially significant is the civilian population, a rarity in this contested region. Unlike the many submerged reefs or artificial islands, Pagasa is solid land—providing it with a 12-nautical-mile territorial sea under international law. It also hosts a functional airstrip and expanding infrastructure, making it a key linchpin of the Philippines’ presence in the South China Sea.
“Pagasa is very important to us,” explains Jonathan Malaya of the Philippine National Security Council. “It supports life, has a runway, and is inhabited. That reinforces our legal and sovereign claim.”
Reaching the island is no easy task. A boat ride from Palawan takes two to three days, while the flight lasts an hour—subject to weather conditions. Only recently was the island’s runway extended to 1,300 meters, allowing C-130 transport aircraft to land.
Infrastructure improvements have been steady. A new hangar now shelters aircraft, a control tower is under construction, and dredging is underway to accommodate larger vessels.
The island was seized by the Philippines in 1971 after a Taiwanese garrison abandoned it during a typhoon, and it was formally annexed in 1978. Since then, the government has encouraged civilians to settle there, providing monthly rations of food and water. Electricity and mobile phone services only arrived in recent years.
Yet, life on Pagasa remains tough—especially for fishermen. Having lived there for years, the fishermen have witnessed firsthand the growing Chinese encroachment. From 2021 onwards, many videos of near-collision with a Chinese coastguard vessel went viral. Today, no one can fish in traditional grounds, and are forced to remain near the island as Chinese vessels patrol nearby waters aggressively.
“Their ships are massive. They sound their horns, chase us away, and it’s terrifying,” A fisherman said.
Despite these hardships, many residents cherish the peace and simplicity of island life. Healthcare remains a challenge, however. Village health worker shares the difficulty of caring for patients when evacuations are delayed by bad weather or unavailable flights. “When planes can’t come, we just do the best we can,” a health worker says. Still, she prefers the island’s lifestyle. “We’re free of stress. We grow some of our food, and we don’t need much money.”
There’s limited space for growth on Pagasa, and most young people leave once they graduate. The island feels both like a tight-knit village and a military outpost—its sleepy charm offset by the looming threat just beyond the horizon.
Why the Philippines is Prioritizing Submarine Acquisition for Deterrence Against China?
Chinese vessels stationed on nearby Subi Reef consistently challenge Philippine pilots approaching Pagasa, claiming unauthorized entry into “Chinese territory.” But the Philippine response is firm: “We remind them this is our territory—every single time.”
Under President Marcos Jr., the Philippines has adopted a more assertive stance. Weekly diplomatic protests are now filed with the Chinese embassy, in sharp contrast to the Duterte administration’s hands-off approach. As Malaya puts it, “We believe China will respect us more if we stand our ground. But democracies like ours face a challenge—policies can shift with leadership. China has no such problem.”
